Clean-out for acetylene-generators.



T. OLI NGER & W. C. FEARELL. CLEAN-OUT FOR ACETYLENE GENERATORS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24,1917- Patented Jan. 8, 1918'.

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CLEAN-OUT FOR ACETYLENE GENERATORS.

APPLICATION HLED )ULY 24,1917- Patented Jam-8, 1918.

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THOMAS OLINGER AND WALTER C. FEARELL, OF EOLLAND, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS TO HOLLAND LIGHTING AND SPECIALTY COMPANY, OF HOLLAND, MICHIGAN, A COR- PORATION OF MICHIGAN.

CLEAN-OUT FOR ACETYLENE-GENEBATOBS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 24, 1917. Serial No. 182,424.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS OLINGER and WALTER C. FEARELL, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Holland, in the county of Ottawa and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clean-Outs for Acetylene-Generators; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relatesto acetylene generators, and is particularly concerned with a construction by means of which sediment precipitated from carbid after it has been entered into the water in such generators, may be removed from the bottom of the tank which contains the water and incloses the mechanism of the generator. Heretofore it has been common to permit this sediment to precipitate to the bottom of the tank and at times to agitate and stir such sediment up in the water which is in the tank, then pump all of the water out, the sediment in suspension in the water being removed on pumping. This is not only a hard and tiresome operation, but all of the water which has been charged with acetylene gas is removed, whereby when a new supply of water is placed in the tank, it must be recharged with gas before any will escape therefrom above and into the gas containing bell of the generator. It is obvious that there is an absolute loss of a considerable quantity of gas when the water is removed from the tank under such process of cleaning. Our invention has for its primary object and purpose, the ready removal of the precipitated sediment from carbid without the necessity of pumping out or in any other way removing the water from the generator tank. The invention consists essentially in various constructions and arrangements of parts for attaining this end, as well as many others not specifically enumerated, in a relatively economical and simple manner.

For an understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred construction of the same, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an acetylene generator unit, the major part of which is shown in vertical section, it being equipped with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the carbid container and'gas bell removed, illustrating the method of removing the sediment holding receptacle.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the sediment receptacle, parts thereof being shown in section, and showing the detachability of the removing rod adapted to be applied thereto.

Fig. at is a plan view of the sediment receptacle, and

I Figs. 5 and 6 are, respectively, a side elevation and a plan of a detail of construction of the sediment receptacle.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the various views of the drawings.

In the construction of the generating unit a relatively large cylindrical tank 1 formed from sheet metal is provided, the upper end thereof being open and ordinarily closed by a removable top 2. A cylindrical support 3 is located within the tank 1 and spaced a short distance from the inner sides thereof, its lower edges being turned outwardly, as indicated at 4, and then downwardly alongside the inner sides of the tank to which it is permanently secured. The space between the support 3 and the sides of the tank 1 is filled with water, making a water seal for the lower edges of the sides 5 of a gas bell which has an integral top 6 as shown, under which the carbid receptacle 7 is located, it being detachably supported by means of cars 8 connected to the sides of the carbid receptacle and hooking over the upper edges of said cylindrical support 3. It will be apparent that the gas bell and the carbid receptacle may be removed from the tank by merelv lifting the same therefrom.

Adjacent its lower end the tank is tapered downwardly and inwardly, as indicated at 9, and formed with a depending well 10 having a diameter less than the diameter of the cylindrical support 3 previously described. lVithin this well a. pan-like receptacle 11 is adapted to be located, its bottom being reinforced and strengthened by a T- iron bar which is positioned with the web down so as to elevate the bottom of the pan a short distance above the bottom of the well 10. A. number of strap members 13 are fasupwardly extending neck 17 and a funnel shaped top flange 18, is secured permanently tothe bottom of receptacle 11 on its upper side, and substantially at its center. Any approved construction for attaching this casting to the receptacle may be used and in practice rivets are passed through the base 16 and the bottom of the receptacle. A pair of diametrically opposed slots 19 are 'cut'in opposite sides of-the casting from a point in the flange'lS to adjacent the base 16, the slots being then turn d at right angles as indicated at 20, and thence upwardly for a short distance as indicated at 21, leaving a lip 22 between the parts 19 and 21 of the slots.

A long rod 23 is provided at its upper end with an operating handle 24 and at its lower end with a pin 25, said pin passing through the rod and projecting a short distance ateach end beyond the sides of the rod. In

- practice this rod may be passed through the opening 15, it being fashioned to pass the pin 25, as shown in Fig. 4, and thence downwardly into the casting, said pin at its ends entering the slots 19 where they are cut in the flange 18, and then extending through said slots where they are cut in the neck 17. The rod is entered into the casting until the ends of pin 25 strike the bottoms of slots 19 and is then turned to bring said ends of the pin into the branches 21, it being apparent that on an upward lift on the handle 21, the receptacle 11 must necessarily come with the rod. In practice, however, as the tank 1 is partially filled with water which comes to a point adjacent the lower part of the car-bid receptacle,'it is practically impossible to get the receptacle out by a straight lift on the rod 23, and it is usual to move the rod at its upper end laterally so as to tilt the receptacle l1, permitting the water to flow thereunder, after which the entire device may be easily removed, the sediment cleaned from said receptacle, which is then replaced in the tank, rod 23 being readily disengaged therefrom as will be obvious.

This cleaning out apparatus for acetylene generators is of value particularly in that the sediment deposited from the carbid may be quickly and entirely-removed, and this without the necessity of pumping out the water from the tank. It will be understood "that water'has the power of absorption of acetylene gas to a very high degree so inuch so in fact, that in acetylene generators it is usually necessary to use a considerable amount of carbid to charge the water, as it is called, before gas will escape therefrom into the gas bell 6. The'usual method of cleaning out acetylene generators which calls for pumping out the water, accordingly, results in the complete loss of water so charged and which is entirely saved by use of our invention. Furthermore, the device is of relatively simple construction and may be very economically manufactured, while at the same time it is durable and efiicient in service and operation.

We claim v 1. A device of the character described, comprising a pan-like receptacle adapted to be located at the bottom of an acetylene generator tank, members connected to said pan on opposite sides thereof and extending upwardly and inwardly to a point substantially above the center of the receptacle, there being an opening formed through said members at said point, a rod adapted to pass through the opening-and means securedto the receptacle with which said rod may have detachable engagement. 7

2. A device of the character described, comprising a'pan-like receptacle adapted to be located in the bottom of an acetylene generator tank,a rod, means secured to the receptacle with which said rod may have detachable connection, and means attached to the receptacle and extending above the same through which the rod is adapted to pass whereby said receptacle may be tilted on lateral movement of the upper end of the rod. V

A device of the character described, comprising a pan-like receptacle adapted to be located at the bottom of an acetylene generator tank, means attached to the sides of said receptacle and extending a distance above the same, and converging to a point above the center of the pan, a connecting member secured at the center of the bottom of said pan, and a rod passing freely through said means and having detachable connection to said member, substantially as described.

4. A device of the character described comprising a pan-like receptacle, a hollow casting secured to the bottom of the receptacle and comprising an upwardly extending neck with an outwardly and upwardly extending flange at the upper end of the neck, said neck and flange being provided with diametrically opposed vertical slots therein, each at its lower end having a branch turned substantially at right angles to the vertical slot, and a rod provided with a transverse pin at its lower end, the ends of the pin exten'dingbeyond the sides "of the rod and adapted to enter-said slots to efiect a detachable connection between the rod and said casting, substantially as described.

5. A construction as claimed in claim 4 in which said branch slots at the ends thereof have short vertical branches substantially paralleling the main vertical slots, there being provided lips between the main and branch vertical slots, substantially as described.

6. In combination, a generator tank provided with a Well at its lower end of less cross-sectional area than the main body of the tank, a pan-like receptacle seated in the Well, means secured to the receptacle to elevate the bottom thereof a short distance above the bottom of the Well, a rod, means secured at the lower end of the rod, means fixed to the receptacle adapted to have detachable engagement With each other to thereby connect the receptaclevand rod detachably together, for entering or removing the receptacle from the tank, and means attached to the sides of the receptacle and extending above and over the same through Which the rod is adapted to pass, whereby on lateral movement of the upper end of-the rod, said receptacle may be tilted to facilitate its removal from the Well, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We aifix our signatures.

THOMAS OLINGER. W'ALTER G. FEARELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Batents,

Washington, D. G. v 

